Vehicle electronic receptionist for communications management

ABSTRACT

A computer implemented method, system and computer program product for a receptionist function in vehicles for communications management, such as phone call and texting management, includes determining driving context of a moving vehicle, estimating a risk factor related to the operation of the vehicle based on the driving context, receiving an incoming communication directed to a mobile communication device within the vehicle, analyzing the incoming communication to determine a communication factor representing an assessment of the incoming communication, and determining an electronic action in response to the incoming communication based on the driving context, the risk factor and the communication factor.

BACKGROUND

This invention is directed to computers and more particularly tocomputer-implemented methods, computer program products and systems foran electronic receptionist for phone call and texting management indriving vehicles.

The use of phones and texting while driving cars can be dangerous inmany scenarios. As cars become fully or partly autonomous, the use ofsuch phones may have various different implications. Additionally, evenhands-free interaction with a phone caller can be distracting. Anundistracted driver typically reacts in one second. The change inreaction time of drivers is known to be for DUI: 13%-21%, hands-freephone: 27%, texting: 37%, and hand-held phone: 46%.

Prior art exists for detecting motion of a cell phone and disabling theuse of the cell phone while moving or driving. Other prior art existsfor an automotive cellular blocker system embedded in the vehicle andcommunicating with the mobile communication device. Similarly, systemsexist that prevent a vehicle occupant from text messaging while driving.

In one approach a system is provided for delivering messages to a userbased on their activity status. When an incoming message for a driver ofthe vehicle is received, the system determines if the driver isexperiencing a high-intensity situation; automatically responding to theincoming message with a reply message to the sender of the incomingmessage if the driver is experiencing the high-intensity situation, andautomatically notifying the driver, after the high-intensity situationhas ended, that the incoming message was received. The approach includesdetermining the existence of an operating situation, determining anoperator cognitive load and determining a response to the operatingsituation based in part on the operator cognitive load.

The prior art systems do not take into consideration the content andnature of the incoming communication, which can be a major influence onthe action that should be taken in response to the incoming message.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention a computer implemented methodfor a receptionist function in cars for phone call and textingmanagement includes steps for a method for communications management indriving vehicles. The method in one embodiment includes determiningdriving context of a moving vehicle, estimating a risk factor related tothe operation of the vehicle based on the driving context, receiving anincoming communication directed to a mobile communication device withinthe vehicle, analyzing the incoming communication to determine acommunication factor representing an assessment of the incomingcommunication, and determining an electronic action in response to theincoming communication based on the driving context, the risk factor andthe communication factor.

Other embodiments of the present invention include a computer programproduct and a computer implemented system

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features as well as the structure and operation of variousembodiments are described in detail below with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicateidentical or functionally similar elements.

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of a system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary computing system in accordance with thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some embodiments a method and system includes determining a drivingcontext of a moving vehicle. The vehicle may be a traditional driveroperated vehicle, an autonomous or self-driving vehicle, or a vehiclethat combines both driving modes. The method and system also includesestimating a risk factor related to the operation of the vehicle basedon the driving context, receiving an incoming communication directed toa mobile communication device within the vehicle, analyzing the incomingcommunication to determine a communication factor representing anassessment of the incoming communication, and determining an electronicaction in response to the incoming communication based on the drivingcontext, the risk factor and the communication factor. The method andsystem provides an electronic receptionist that takes an action based ondriving context, vehicle operation risk and rules for determining theaction. The methods and system have utility even for hands-free calluse.

In some embodiments, the context may include the mode the vehicle isdriving in, for example, self-driving, or manual driving. In someembodiments, the context may also include one or more of roadconditions, traffic conditions, traffic flow, changing lanes, merging,school zone, history of accidents, current destination, distractions inthe car, weather, and the cognitive state of the driver or passenger ofa self-driving vehicle. The history of accidents may include one or moreof accidents on a given roadway or of a particular driver. In someembodiments, the context may include the name of the person calling orsending a message. In some embodiments, the context data may be obtainedfrom sensors providing data such as, driver biometric information,vehicle speed information, location information, proximity information,motion information, position information and temporal information.

In some embodiments, the risk may be based on risk of accident, risk ofcognitive overload, risk of waking someone who is sleeping in aself-driving car.

In some embodiments, an incoming voice or text message may be analyzedto determine a communication factor used in determining the electronicaction to be taken by the electronic receptionist. In some embodiments,the communication factor of the incoming message may be determined usingnatural language processing and/or speech recognition to determine thecontent of the message. In some embodiments, the tone of the message maybe determined using tone analysis. In some embodiments, thecommunication factor includes the cognitive state of the caller, whichcan be estimated based on real-time analysis or on a history ofinteractions between the driver and the caller.

The electronic action may be any one or more of: intercepting a call,taking a message, sending an automated reply, reading or announcing themessage, block driver from texting, delay the message until the vehiclestops, present the message on a display panel, redirect the message toanother, switching the car to self-driving mode, or asking the driver topull over before a message is relayed.

By including the communication factor in the rules for determining anelectronic action, the electronic receptionist has the ability to assessthe nature of a call or text message and to take action to ensure thatthe level of attention required to address the need of the caller isavailable when presented without sacrificing the safety of the driver orthe convenience of the passenger of a self-driving vehicle. In this way,excessive demands and distractions on the driver or the passenger areminimized by the ability of the electronic receptionist to determine theappropriate action.

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a method for communications managementin driving vehicles in accordance with the present invention. In stepS100 the driving context of a moving vehicle is determined. In stepS102, a risk factor related to the operation of the vehicle based on thedriving context is estimated. In step S104, an incoming communicationdirected to a mobile communication device within the vehicle isreceived. In step S106, the incoming communication is analyzed todetermine a communication factor. In step S108, an electronic action inresponse to the incoming communication based on the driving context, therisk factor and the communication factor is determined. In step S110,the electronic action is implemented.

In some embodiments, the rules for determining an electronic action inresponse to the incoming communication based on the driving context, therisk factor and the communication factor may include using the level ofurgency of the incoming communication to determine whether to alert thedriver and request the driver to pull over before receiving adistressful message, ensuring the safety of the driver. In someembodiments, the rules cause the electronic receptionist to become moreactivist in shielding the driver or passenger based on risk assessment.For example, if the risk is greater, the receptionist may be moreassertive about not letting texts or calls come through. In one example,the receptionist may deflect an incoming call if the person in the caris very much engaged with some media presented on the cars' infotainmentsystem or radio. In another example, the affect on the cognitive stateof the driver, if engaging in a conversation with a particular caller,can be estimated.

In another example, if the car is not moving e.g. parked, its level ofbeing an activist may decrease. A smart phone may automaticallydetermine the location of a parked vehicle by monitoring a receivedsignal associated with the vehicle and a motion of the smartphone.

In some embodiments, the rules for determining the electronic action ofthe electronic receptionist are different for manual driving, autonomousdriving, and semi-autonomous driving.

In some embodiments, the rules for determining the electronic actionincludes applying an adjustable weight factor to each of the drivingcontext, the risk factor and the communication factor in determining theelectronic action, the weight factors being adjustable based on driverpreferences.

In some embodiments, the rules for determining an electronic action mayhave the electronic receptionist assume some security guard accesscontrol functions for a person in car by observing and reporting anyunusual or suspicious persons or activities near a car.

In some embodiments, the rules include controlling and/or changing the“personality” of the electronic receptionist. For example, theelectronic action may include a verbal response which can give theimpression of having a positive attitude and dependability. In someembodiments, the rules include the electronic receptionist having arespect for confidentiality and discretion.

In some embodiments, the rules have the electronic receptionist act as agatekeeper, understanding in varying degree the requirements of thedriver or passenger, and with an ability through this understanding todecide, based on the communication factor, which messages are mostappropriate for allocation of the driver's or passenger's time, withconsideration of risk and context. In some embodiments, the rules mayallow electronic receptionists to interact with other receptionists inother vehicles on the road.

In some embodiments, the callers may make queries to the car and receiveanswers from a mobile communication device embedded within the vehicle.Callers may make such queries directed to the vehicle, such as: Whenwill the driver or the self-driving car arrive at home? Can thedriver/passenger talk or text now? When might the driver/passenger beable to talk or text? Is it raining badly where vehicle is driving? Howfast is the vehicle driving? Where is the vehicle's destination? Did thevehicle arrive at a specific location and did the driver/passenger exitthe vehicle at that location? The electronic receptionist respondsdirectly to the callers queries based on the context, risk and ruleswithout intervention of the driver or passenger in the vehicle. Forexample, callers may make requests to add items to an errand list of thedriver and this may be done without alerting the driver and divertingfocus from driving. The electronic receptionist may provide informationto a family member or other authorized people regarding possible arrivaltime at a destination, or providing a text message to the sender.

In some embodiments, the vehicle electronic receptionist may determinewho is a passenger or driver by querying an ID associated with a smartphone.

The electronic receptionist rules can evolve through time. The systemmay learn, for example, whether a driver or passenger wants to beinterrupted or not during a drive, and under what circumstances thedisruption could occur. The level of activist function of the electronicreceptionist may be learned and/or controlled.

In some embodiments, machine learning is used to enhance the electronicreceptionist based on the context-based learning of driver distractionsand anticipated cognitive outcomes of a communication. In someembodiments, a machine learning algorithm correlates driving behaviorand performance with the context and content and tone of thecommunication. In one example, the electronic receptionist may learnthat given a text message, having a specific context (driving home fromwork) (from a manager at work) and communication factor (angry tone),may have previously caused, when announced, a decrease in drivingperformance and an undue urge on the part of the driver to text whiledriving. A different message context (from a spouse) and communicationfactor (about groceries) may have not caused any decrease in drivingperformance. In this way, the electronic receptionist learns throughcontextual and text analytics to vector different messages in differentways to the driver in order to ensure the driver is always able torespond appropriately and in a safe manner to the message.

In some embodiments, the electronic receptionist includes a traditionalreinforcement machine learning system, in which the agent is thereceptionist and the action it chooses is the level of alerting andrelaying of certain messages to the driver. The reward of the system, inthis case, is the maintenance by the driver of good driving behavior,given the state of the driver's condition and the context (includingtext semantic analysis of the content) of the message. Optimization thenproceeds to choose the appropriate receptionist action given differentcontexts.

In some embodiments, the electronic receptionist may be implemented in acloud computing environment. In some embodiments, the driving context ofthe vehicle may be determined using an internet of things system.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of a system of the present invention. Adriving context module 12 determines the driving context of a movingvehicle 14. A risk factor module 16 estimates a risk factor related tothe operation of the vehicle 14 based on the driving context determinedby driving context module 12. An incoming communication 18 directed to amobile communication device within the vehicle 14 is received by vehicle14. The communication 18 is also received by communication factor module20. The incoming communication 18 is analyzed by communication factormodule 20 to determine a communication factor. An electronicreceptionist's module 22 determines an electronic action 24 in responseto the incoming communication 18 based on the input from driving contextmodule 12, the risk factor module 16 and communication factor module 20.In one embodiment, receptionist module 22 is included in program module102 of FIG. 5 described later.

In some embodiments, communication factor module 20 determines thecommunication factor based on speech recognition module 26, naturallanguage processing module 28 and tone analysis module 30.

Speech recognition software converts speech to text to provide speechtranscription capability. To transcribe the human voice accurately, thespeech to text software leverages machine intelligence to combineinformation about grammar and language structure with knowledge of thecomposition of the audio signal. Speaker recognition can also be appliedto differentiate between one person talking and the other voices in anenvironment, using a digital representation of one's unique vocalfeatures. Recognizing the speaker includes the task of translatingspeech in systems that have been trained on specific person's voices.

Tone analysis refers to the use of natural language processing, textanalysis, computational linguistics, and biometrics to systematicallyidentify, extract, quantify, and study affective states and subjectiveinformation. In some embodiments, tone analysis is performed by the IBMWatson Tone Analyzer™ service. Relying on the scientific findings frompsycholinguistics research, the Tone Analyzer™ infers people'spersonality characteristics, their thinking and writing styles, theiremotions, and their intrinsic needs and values from text.

Natural language processing (NLP) is the ability of a computer programto understand human speech as it is spoken. Current approaches to NLPare based on machine learning that examines and uses patterns in data toimprove a program's own understanding. In some embodiments, unsupervisedand semi-supervised learning algorithms are used. Such algorithms areable to learn from data that has not been hand-annotated with thedesired answers, or using a combination of annotated and non-annotateddata. In some embodiments, deep learning techniques for several naturallanguage tasks, for example in language modeling, parsing and manyothers.

In some embodiments, the electronic receptionist module 22 receives aninput from a driver preferences module 32. The electronic action isdetermined based on applying an adjustable weight factor to each of thedriving context, the risk factor and the communication factor indetermining the electronic action, the weight factors being adjustablebased on the driver preferences.

In some embodiments, the determining driving context of the movingvehicle 14 is determined by the driving context module 12 based oninputs from the internet of things module 34. In some embodiments, theelectronic receptionist module 22 is implemented in a cloud computingenvironment 36.

In some embodiments, the electronic receptionist module 22 determinesthe electronic action using machine learning module 38. In someembodiments, machine learning module 38 learns based on past driverperformance correlated with the corresponding driving context, the riskfactor and the communication factor.

It is to be understood that although this disclosure includes a detaileddescription on cloud computing, implementation of the teachings recitedherein are not limited to a cloud computing environment. Rather,embodiments of the present invention are capable of being implemented inconjunction with any other type of computing environment now known orlater developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g., networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for loadbalancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure that includes anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 includes one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 3 are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type ofcomputerized device over any type of network and/or network addressableconnection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 4, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 3) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 4 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may include applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provides pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and electronic receptionist 96.

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic of an example computer or processingsystem that may implement the method for an electronic receptionist forphone call and texting management in driving vehicles in one embodimentof the present disclosure. The computer system is only one example of asuitable processing system and is not intended to suggest any limitationas to the scope of use or functionality of embodiments of themethodology described herein. The processing system shown may beoperational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with the processing system shown in FIG. 5 may include,but are not limited to, personal computer systems, server computersystems, thin clients, thick clients, handheld or laptop devices,multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes,programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems,mainframe computer systems, and distributed cloud computing environmentsthat include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

The computer system may be described in the general context of computersystem executable instructions, such as program modules, being executedby a computer system. Generally, program modules may include routines,programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and so on thatperform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.The computer system may be practiced in distributed cloud computingenvironments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices thatare linked through a communications network. In a distributed cloudcomputing environment, program modules may be located in both local andremote computer system storage media including memory storage devices.

The components of computer system may include, but are not limited to,one or more processors or processing units 100, a system memory 106, anda bus 104 that couples various system components including system memory106 to processor 100. The processor 100 may include a program module 102that performs the methods described herein. The module 102 may beprogrammed into the integrated circuits of the processor 100, or loadedfrom memory 106, storage device 108, or network 114 or combinationsthereof.

Bus 104 may represent one or more of any of several types of busstructures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheralbus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus usingany of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and notlimitation, such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture(ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA)bus, Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, andPeripheral Component Interconnects (PCI) bus.

Computer system may include a variety of computer system readable media.Such media may be any available media that is accessible by computersystem, and it may include both volatile and non-volatile media,removable and non-removable media.

System memory 106 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and/or cachememory or others. Computer system may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 108 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(e.g., a “hard drive”). Although not shown, a magnetic disk drive forreading from and writing to a removable, non-volatile magnetic disk(e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical disk drive for reading from orwriting to a removable, non-volatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM,DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided. In such instances, eachcan be connected to bus 104 by one or more data media interfaces.

Computer system may also communicate with one or more external devices116 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 118, etc.; one ormore devices that enable a user to interact with computer system; and/orany devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable computersystem to communicate with one or more other computing devices. Suchcommunication can occur via Input/Output (I/O) interfaces 110.

Still yet, computer system can communicate with one or more networks 114such as a local area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN),and/or a public network (e.g., the Internet) via network adapter 112. Asdepicted, network adapter 112 communicates with the other components ofcomputer system via bus 104. It should be understood that although notshown, other hardware and/or software components could be used inconjunction with computer system. Examples include, but are not limitedto: microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external diskdrive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storagesystems, etc.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product at any possible technical detail level of integration.The computer program product may include a non-transitory computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements, if any, in the claims below areintended to include any structure, material, or act for performing thefunction in combination with other claimed elements as specificallyclaimed. The description of the present invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to beexhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

In addition, while preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen described using specific terms, such description is forillustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes andvariations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer implemented method for communicationsmanagement in driving vehicles comprising: determining a driving contextof a moving vehicle; estimating a risk factor related to the operationof the vehicle based on the driving context; receiving an incomingcommunication directed to a mobile communication device within thevehicle; analyzing the incoming communication; determining acommunication factor representing an assessment of the incomingcommunication based on the analysis of the incoming communication; anddetermining an electronic action in response to the incomingcommunication based on the risk factor and the communication factor. 2.The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communication factorincludes a level of urgency of the incoming message.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein determining the communication factor comprisesanalyzing content of the incoming communication identified from speechrecognition and natural language processing analytics.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein determining the communication factor comprisesdetermining a cognitive state of a sender of the incoming communication.5. The method of claim 1, wherein the driving context is determined fromdata selected from the group consisting of mode vehicle is driving, roadconditions, traffic conditions, history of accidents, currentdestination, distractions in the vehicle, weather, cognitive state of adriver of the vehicle, cognitive state of a passenger in the vehicle anda name of a sender of the incoming communication.
 6. The method of claim1, wherein the risk factor is estimated from data selected from thegroup consisting of risk of accident, risk of cognitive overload of adriver of the vehicle, and risk of waking a passenger sleeping in aself-driving vehicle.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronicaction is selected from the group consisting of taking a message,providing a silent or audible notification to a driver of the vehicle,and providing an automated response to the sender of the incomingcommunication.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining theelectronic action includes applying an adjustable weight factor to eachof the driving context, the risk factor and the communication factor indetermining the electronic action, the weight factors being adjustablebased on driver preferences.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein thedetermining a driving context of a moving vehicle is determined based onthe internet of things and the determining an electronic action inresponse to the incoming communication based on the risk factor and thecommunication factor is implemented in a cloud computing environment.10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the electronic actionincludes machine learning based on past driver performance correlatedwith the corresponding driving context, the risk factor and thecommunication factor.
 11. A system for communications management indriving vehicles, comprising: one or more computer processors; one ormore computer-readable storage media; program instructions, stored onthe one or more computer-readable storage media, which when implementedby the one or more processors, cause the computer system to perform:determining a driving context of a moving vehicle; estimating a riskfactor related to the operation of the vehicle based on the drivingcontext; receiving an incoming communication directed to a mobilecommunication device within the vehicle; analyzing the incomingcommunication; determining a communication factor representing anassessment of the incoming communication based on the analysis of theincoming communication; and determining an electronic action in responseto the incoming communication based on the risk factor and thecommunication factor.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein determiningthe communication factor includes a level of urgency of the incomingmessage and wherein determining the communication factor includesanalyzing content of the incoming communication identified from speechrecognition and natural language processing analytics, and whereindetermining the communication factor includes determining a cognitivestate of a sender of the incoming communication.
 13. The system of claim11, wherein the driving context is determined from data selected fromthe group consisting of mode vehicle is driving, road conditions,traffic conditions, history of accidents, current destination,distractions in the vehicle, weather, cognitive state of a driver of thevehicle, cognitive state of a passenger in the vehicle and a name of asender of the incoming communication, and wherein the risk factor isestimated from data selected from the group consisting of risk ofaccident, risk of cognitive overload of a driver of the vehicle, andrisk of waking a passenger sleeping in a self-driving vehicle.
 14. Thesystem of claim 11, wherein the electronic action is selected from thegroup consisting of taking a message, providing a silent or audiblenotification to a driver of the vehicle, and providing an automatedresponse to the sender of the incoming communication, and whereindetermining the electronic action includes applying an adjustable weightfactor to each of the driving context, the risk factor and thecommunication factor in determining the electronic action, the weightfactors being adjustable based on driver preferences.
 15. The system ofclaim 11, wherein the determining driving context of a moving vehicle isdetermined based on the internet of things and the determining anelectronic action in response to the incoming communication based on therisk factor and the communication factor is implemented in a cloudcomputing environment, and wherein determining the electronic actionincludes machine learning based on past driver performance correlatedwith the corresponding driving context, the risk factor and thecommunication factor.
 16. A non-transitory computer program productcomprising: program instructions stored on a computer-readable storagemedium, where execution of the program instructions using a computercauses the computer to perform a method for communications management indriving vehicles, comprising: determining a driving context of a movingvehicle; estimating a risk factor related to the operation of thevehicle based on the driving context; receiving an incomingcommunication directed to a mobile communication device within thevehicle; analyzing the incoming communication; determining acommunication factor representing an assessment of the incomingcommunication based on the analysis of the incoming communication; anddetermining an electronic action in response to the incomingcommunication based on the risk factor and the communication factor. 17.The non-transitory computer program product of claim 16, whereindetermining the communication factor includes a level of urgency andwherein determining the communication factor includes analyzing contentof the incoming communication identified from speech recognition andnatural language processing analytics, and wherein determining thecommunication factor includes determining a cognitive state of a senderof the incoming communication.
 18. The non-transitory computer programproduct of claim 16, wherein the driving context is determined from dataselected from the group consisting of mode vehicle is driving, roadconditions, traffic conditions, history of accidents, currentdestination, distractions in the vehicle, weather, cognitive state of adriver of the vehicle, cognitive state of a passenger in the vehicle anda name of a sender of the incoming communication, and wherein the riskfactor is estimated from data selected from the group consisting of riskof accident, risk of cognitive overload of a driver of the vehicle, andrisk of waking a passenger sleeping in a self-driving vehicle.
 19. Thenon-transitory computer program product of claim 16, wherein theelectronic action is selected from the group consisting of taking amessage, providing a silent or audible notification to a driver of thevehicle, and providing an automated response to the sender of theincoming communication, and wherein determining the electronic actionincludes applying an adjustable weight factor to each of the drivingcontext, the risk factor and the communication factor in determining theelectronic action, the weight factors being adjustable based on driverpreferences.
 20. The non-transitory computer program product of claim16, wherein the determining a driving context of a moving vehicle isdetermined based on the internet of things and the determining anelectronic action in response to the incoming communication based on therisk factor and the communication factor is implemented in a cloudcomputing environment, and wherein determining the electronic actionincludes machine learning based on past driver performance correlatedwith the corresponding driving context, the risk factor and thecommunication factor.